Antigas-respirator.



H. ROMANOFF.

ANHGAS RESPIRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED HES-9,1918.

1 98A04. Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETS SHEET l.

H. RUIVIANOFF.

ANHGAS RESPIRATOR.

APPLICATION HLED ms. 9. \918.

Patented Mar. 25,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l/VI/E/VTOI? A TTORNEV terioration.

HIPPOLYTE BOMANOFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

mrIoAs-nEsrmAroa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 9, 1918. Serial No. 216,398.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIPPOLYTE ROMANOFF, a citizen of Russia, residing at200 West 59th street, in the county of New York, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Antigas- Respirators;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for theprotection of a soldier against noxious gases such as are used in war.More particularly the apparatus of the present invention provides avalved conduit through which air maybe inhaled by the user and a secondand separate conduit through which the operator may exhale, suitablepurifying media being inserted in the intake conduit and preferably alsoin the other conduit to remove from the passing air any chlorin, bromin,

arsena-ted hydrogpn or other noxious gases or fumes with ich the usermay come in contact.

The particular embodiment hereinafter described in detail is reliable inits action andis capable of delivering to the user substantially pureair unmixed with previous exhalations from his lungs. It is light inweight, cheap to manufacture, convenient to carry and quickly adjustableto operating condition. When not in use the purifying chemical or agentis well protected from de- In an emergency, the valve mechanism can berendered inactive, leaving the operator-free to inhale or exhale throu hboth conduits simultaneously, though an e1- normal conditions thisresult is not desired and in fact is carefully guarded against.

Other details and objects and advantages of the invention will becomeclear from the following detailed description which is to be taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is aperspective view showing the apparatus in operating condition; Fig. 2 isa sectional elevation through the conduits and valve mechanism; Fig. 3is a plan ,view of the apparatus; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detailof the valve mechanism; Fig. 5 is a perspective'view of a modified form;Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation through the structure shown in Fig. 5;Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 8 15 a detail of the gratingwith which the active chemical mass is covered as shown in Fig. 6.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the intakeconduit is in the form-of a rectangular box 1 having a removable cork 2at its inlet and a passage 3 just beyond the inlet from which, through agrating 4, the incoming air may pass to the active chemical material 5.This ma terial may be of known composition and suitable for freeing theincoming air from such corrosive or other destructive agencies as it maycarry. Beyond this chemical material is a second grating 6 through whichthe purified air may pass to a vertical passage 7. At the upper end ofthis passage is an oval tube or conduit 8 provided with Patented Mar.25, 1919.

a check valve 9 of the butterfly type as shown more in detail in Fig. l.After passing the check valve, the air is drawn upwardly through aflexible funnel 10 forming a part of the gas mask, and after having beeninhaled by the wearer, is expelled downward through funnel 10, and as itcannot pass check valve9 it enters a conduit 11, the valv 12 of which,being the reverse of valve 9, permits its entrance into passage 13. Theimpure air passes through a grating 14: and through chemical purifyingmaterial 15 and finally out through a second grating 16 and passage 17to the outlet, the removable closure 18 of which must, of course, havepreviously been removed. Suitable supporting straps 20 hold theapparatus in convenient position on the chest of the wearer and when theapparatus is not in use, the gas mask can be stored in a box 21 at thetop of the apparatus and there protected by a suitable sheet metal cover22. Corks 2 and 18 suitably close the inlet and outlet when the deviceis not in action.

Each valve mechanism, as shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4:,comprises a sheet metal plate 23 servin as a support for the wings ofthe valve. 'fhe wings 24c and 25 for valve 9 consist of a single sheetof rubber which is passed beneath the lower straight ed e of support 23and is there gripped and held by a metal channel 26. Each wing isreinforced on its upper surface by a segmental plate 27 of Bristol boardor other stiffening material, and each wing is of segmental shape asshown in Fig. 3 and consequently is adapted to completely shut off thepassage of air in reverse direction through the conduit in which valve 9is lofiled Feb.

this bail between his teeth and pull bot valves and their supports outof the tubes thereby completely opening both passages.

This is an emergency measure but is of importance. Owing to theflexiblecharacter of funnel 10 it is even possible for the operator to withdrawthe valves .by hand and without removing the mask from his face.

No claims are herein made for the valve structure per se, as the same iscovered in my co-pending application Serial No. 216,397,

With an apparatus constructed as above described there is a purificationof the incoming air and after the air as thus purified has beenbreathed, it is expelled through another path and so does not becomemixed with the incominv pure air and does not in any way impair theactivity of the chemical purifying agent relied on to remove the noxiousgases from the air. By interposing a purifying agent in the path of theoutgoing air, the operator is protected against inhaling destructivegases even. though the valvesbe sluggish inoperation or be re movedentirely. However, with valves of theconstruction here described, the.operation is not sluggish for they respond very quickly to the flow ofair and are reliable in action in addition to being of cheapconstruction and easily renewable.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7 the same generalprinciples are employed. A. metal container 29 is divided by atransverse partition 30 into an intake conduit 31 and an outlet conduit32, in both of which active absorbing material is stored above thegrating 33 and beneath the grating 34. An openlng at the bottom of theapparatus and initially closed by a cork 34 communicates with bothconduits through grating 33. Over the top of the metal container is aplate 35 havin an orifice 36 leading to a valve 37 of t e constructionheretofore described, and similarly there is an orifice 38vcommunicating with an outlet conduit or pipe in which is a valve 39. iThe flexible funnel 40 of the gas mask embraces both valved conduits andwhen not in use can be stored to ether with the mask itself within thecham er formed by a flange4l in whlch the metal container terminates atits upper edge. A cover 42 incloses all of these parts when they areinotin use and the structure as a whole maybe conveniently carried by astrap or bail 43.

I am aware that various changes may be made in the apparatus withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention as defined by the. appendedclaims.

ass see I claim: l. The combination, with a gas mask; of a rigidcontainer connected therewith and having internal air inlet and outletcompartments which are distinct from each other and both of which are incommunication with the atmosphere, to permit air to be drawn from theatmosphere directly into the inlet compartment and discharged from theoutlet compartment directly into the atmosphere; purifying material inthe inlet compartment; a check valve allowing air to be drawn throughthe inlet compartment directly into said mask; and a check valveallowing re'spirated air to be expelled from said mask directly into andthrough the outlet compartment.

2. The combination, with a gas mask; of a rigid container connected withsaid mask and adapted for attachment to the chest of the wearer andhaving internal air inlet and outlet compartments which are distinctfrom each other and both of which are in communication with theatmosphere, to permit air to be drawn from the atmosphere directly intothe inlet compartment and discharged from the outlet compartmentdirectly into the atmosphere; purifyin material in each compartment; acheck va ve allowing air to -'be drawn through the inlet compartmentdirectly into said mask; and a check valve allowing respirated air to beexpelled from said mask directly into and through the outletcompartment.

3. The combination, with a gas mask including adepending funnel; of acontainer connected with the lower end of said funnel and'havinginternal air inlet and outlet compartments which are distinct from eachotherand both of which are in communication with the atmosphere, saidinlet and outlet compartments being provided, respectively, with anoutlet opening and an iniet opening communicating directly with saidfunnel; purifying material in the inlet compartment; and a pair ofreversely-acting check valves associated with said outlet and inletopenings for causing the air to pass successively through the outlet 0)ening into said funnel and from the latter t rough the inlet opening.

4c. In an anti-gas apparatus, the combination, with a gas mask, and 3,depending, flexible funnel connected thereto; of a rigid container towhich the lower end of the funnel is connected having internal air inletand outlet compartments which are distinct from each other and .both ofwhich are in communication with the atmosphere to permit air to be drawnfrom the atmosphere directly into the inlet compartment and dischargedfrom the outlet compartment directly into the atmosphere; purifyingmateraeaaoa compartment directly into said funnel; a cheer valveallowing respirated air to be expelled from said funnel directly intoand through the outlet compartment; a chamber upon the top of thecontainer to receive the mask and funnel when the apparatus is not inuse; and a cover for said chamber.

5. The combination, with a gas mask including a depending funnel; of anair inlet conduit and an air outlet conduit leading, respectively, toand from the lower end of the funnel; purifying material in eachconduit; a pair of reversely-acting check valves arranged in saidconduits at the points where the latter open into said funnel forcausing the air to pass through said conduits in succession; and amember connecting said valves and projecting into said funnelto begrasped'between the teeth of the wearer, thereby to' withdraw bothvalves from their conduits into the funnel, so as to associated withsaid conduits for causing the air to pass therethrough in succession;and a member connecting said valves and projecting into said funnel tobe grasped between the teeth of the wearer, thereby to withdraw bothvalves from their conduits into said funnel, so as to completely openboth conduits.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

HIPPOLYTE ROMANOFF.

internal air inlet and outlet con-

